The present invention relates to a method for image-based searching and characterizing 3-Dimensional images.
In the past, the searching of images has been performed by searching text information associated with a particular image. However, keyword searching for images is no longer adequate, especially in the global community of the Internet. The keywords chosen to describe an image are limited in number and scope and have inherent biases. The words chosen to represent an object will be a result of the culture, language and vocabulary of the author. This restricts users to what images they can search and where they can search.
When searching for an image of oneself as a child in a particular room, with a particular toy, wearing a particular outfit, and where certain pieces of furniture are visible, it is unlikely that keywords pertaining to such elements are associated with any of the images. Therefore, in order to perform the search, a number of images are identified and then each image is reviewed by a person to identify the further criteria and select those images that match the criteria. For vast image databases, the above method is prohibitive.
When the occasion arises for new descriptors to be attached to old images in the database or new images to be added, the time consuming task of associating keywords with each image must be undertaken. Once an image is defined by keywords it is undesirable to redefine the image. The static method of using keywords to define an image prohibits any dynamic change of an image""s characterization.
In order to attempt to overcome these and other drawbacks in keyword searching, it has been suggested to search pictures using a picture as the search criteria. Using such a system, a search criteria image is analyzed for colour, composition, contours, etc. and the results are compared against results of similar analyses performed on stored images. Images with results similar to those of the search criteria image, within predetermined limits, are selected as results of the search.
Searching 2-dimensional images, wherein the 2 dimensions are the 2 standard spatial dimensions, has drawbacks. A bi-dimensional image does not have scale unless calibration is performed during image acquisition. Occlusionxe2x80x94hiding or obstruction of objectsxe2x80x94and auto-occlusionxe2x80x94hiding or obstruction of portions of an object by other portions of the same objectxe2x80x94result in the loss of a significant fraction of available information. An object has a position and orientation that are easily varied and difficult to analyze. Entire images are often oriented differently, due to camera skew, complicating analysis. Most geometrical information is lost in capturing a 2-dimensional image. This information is difficult to reconstruct absent quite a few assumptions or known parameters. Imaging in only 2 dimensions is also affected by lighting as light casts shadows that affect the perceived image. Careful colouring of an object renders it larger or shaped differently within a 2-dimensional image. Searching and locating 2-dimensional images may have many applications. Unfortunately, it does not allow for recognition of objects or detection of similar objects within images except with regards to a particular view of the objects.
It is an object of this invention to provide an image-based searching method for 3-dimensional images.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of characterizing 3-dimensional images.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of creating a characterization set for a 3-dimensional object, the method comprising the steps of: determining a reference frame for the 3-dimensional object that is independent of position and orientation of the 3-dimensional object; generating at least one characteristic of the 3-dimensional object for the characterization set in dependence on the reference frame; and associating the 3-dimensional object with the characterization set and the at least one characteristic.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of searching for objects based on a search criteria object having a characterization set containing a characteristic where the objects being searched are stored in a database, said objects being 3-dimensional objects and having a pre-calculated characterization set including the characteristic from the characterization set of the search object criteria, said method comprising the steps of: calculating a characterization difference between the characteristic of the search criteria object and the corresponding characteristic for each object stored in the database; and outputting a representation of objects from the database where the characterization difference fell within predetermined limits.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of searching for objects based on a search criteria object having a characterization set containing a characteristic where the objects being searched are stored in a database, said objects being 3-dimensional objects, said method comprising the steps of: generating for each object in the database a characterization set wherein the characterization set includes the characteristic from the characterization set of the search criteria object; calculating a characterization difference between the characteristic of the search criteria object and the corresponding characteristic for each object stored in the database; and outputting a representation of objects from the database where the characterization difference fell within predetermined limits.
In accordance with an additional embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of searching for objects based on a search criteria object having a characterization set containing a plurality of characteristics where the objects being searched are stored in a database, said objects being 3-dimensional objects and having a characterization set including a subset of the plurality of characteristics from the characterization set of the search criteria object, said method comprising the steps of: providing the search criteria object on which to base the search; generating for the search criteria object the characterization set; providing weight selection means for the selection of weights for each of the plurality of characteristics of the search criteria object; sending the characteristic weight and the characterization set of the search criteria object; and receiving and displaying results of a search based on the characteristics of the search criteria object and the characteristic weight.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for creating a characterization set for a 3-dimensional object, comprising the steps of: determining a reference frame for the 3-dimensional object that is independent of position and orientation of the object; producing at least one characteristic for the characterization set in dependence on the reference frame; and associating the 3-dimensional object with the characterization set and the at least one characteristic.
In accordance with yet a further embodiment of the present invention there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for searching for objects based on a search criteria object having a characterization set containing a characteristic where the objects being searched are stored in a database, said objects being 3-dimensional objects and having a pre-calculated characterization set including the characteristic from the characterization set of the search object criteria, said method comprising the steps of: calculating a characterization difference between the characteristic of the search criteria object and the corresponding characteristic for each object stored in the database; and outputting a representation of objects from the database where the characterization difference fell within predetermined limits.
In accordance with an additional embodiment of the present invention there is provided a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for searching for objects based on a search criteria object having a characterization set containing a plurality of characteristics where the objects being searched are stored in a database, said objects being 3-dimensional objects and having a characterization set including a subset of the plurality of characteristics from the characterization set of the search criteria object, said method comprising the steps of: providing the search criteria object on which to base the search; generating for the search criteria object the characterization set; providing weight selection means for the selection of weights for each of the plurality of characteristics of the search criteria object; sending the characteristic weight and the characterization set of the search criteria object; and receiving and displaying results of a search based on the characteristics of the search criteria object and the characteristic weight.